The etymology of “discourage” is de-hearted — courage taken away. Four ways to get it back, why platforms aren’t witness, and an original closing song.

Crystal Clear proves again how delusional she is on this episode where she waxes philosophic on the word discourage — cor, Latin for heart, so to discourage is to take the heart out, and to encourage is to put it back.

Four ways to re-heart that aren’t the kitten-on-a-blanket poster version:

Anger over reassurance — indignation re-hearts faster than “you can do it,” and it’s why “you can’t” sometimes works better.

• Find a witness — courage is partly social, which is the whole problem with what platforms sell as witness.
• One small concrete move — the next single step shrinks the mountain back to a molehill.
• Reconnect to the stakes — discouragement is usually the stakes dimming. Remember what you refuse to lose.

Plus: aim the anger somewhere that moves. The open records requests still outstanding — OSU (filed Feb 23) and the Stony Brook FOIL on the 2007 Morgellons research — and an invitation to file your own.

Closing original song "Collections"— claps in triplets, a sleepy acoustic loop, and a lyrical thesis on why there’s no influencer presence here: no name in the public domain, but in the private sphere I have no fear. They capitalize on all of our lives. They need us more than we need them.

For the SEO demons I love so much: Morgellons, More Morgellons podcast, Crystal Clear, etymology of courage, discouragement, FOIA, FOIL request, open records at OSU Tulsa, Stony Brook NY Morgellons research, platform capture, attention economy, why I have no social media but still somehow manage to be the most self-absorbed humanborg on the planet, and original music by The Worms.

“We can’t say no to pain, but we can say no to suffering. I can transmute fear into anger and isolation into connection.”

-CC